Flushing-tank for closets.



PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903.

W. A.. WILLIAMS. PLUSHING TANK FOR CLOSETS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 5, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

. WJTNESSES.-

55nd, za. a/W

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. WILLIAMS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FLuusHlNG-TANK FORCLOSETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 718,560, dated January 13, 1903. Application iiled February 5, 1902. Serial No. 92,639. (No model.)

l of which the vfollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to flushing-tanks for closets, the object of my inventionbeing to provide a tank of this character which will avoid leakage, which shall be comparatively noiseless, and which may be operated by a lever or by electricity or will act automaticallyl at predetermined intervals. The tank may thus be placed at `any part of the building, remote, if desired, from the basin required to be iiushed. Y y

My invention therefore resides in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement ot' parts forthe above purpose, as hereinafter fully specified, and particularly pointed ont in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a tank embodying'my improvement, the front portion thereof being broken away to show the construction of the interior. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the valve-casing for admittingwater to the tank.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section'of vthe same atv right angles to Fig. 2, and Fig. tis a detail of the device for closing the circuitwby the rise of the water in the tank.

Referring to the drawings', 1 represents a tank, the front portion of which is broken away to show the construction of the interior.

2 represents the supply-pipe by which water is supplied to the tank, said pipe being connected, as shownY at 3, with the end of a conduit 5, connected withlthe valve-casing 6, by which the entranceof the water into the tank is controlled.

In connection with my invention I use an improved form of Valve by which water is admitted through two dieren't channels, one of said channels being used for the purpose of fil-ling the tank with water after it has been flushed and the other being used for the purpose of Vsupplyinga stream of water for the jet to the siphon. I also use separate means for controlling the passage'of the Water in said channels. The water for iilling thevtank passes through the conduit 5 when the plunger 7 is raised, which is done by means ofa lever 8, pivoted, as shown at 9, to ears 10 on the valve-casing 6, said lever being actuated by a float 11, the fall ofthe water in the tank raising said plunger. When the plunger is raised from its seat, the water passes upward into the valve-casing and is discharged by means of the spout 12 into the tank.

In order to preventvbration of the float 11 when the plunger lcloses upon its seat, I provide inthe conduit 5 apertures 13, which dischargeinto an annular groove 14:,formed in the casing, said groove connecting with a passage 15, formed in an extension or rib 16 on the wall of said casing and extending upward to a point above thertop of the stem of the plunger and discharging into said casing above said stem. When, therefore, the plunger descends onto its seat, the Water passes by means of said apertures into the top of the casing and exerts a pressure onto the top of said stem tending in some degree to counterbalance the, pressure upward of the water on the plunger and assisting the lever to hold said plunger down to its seat, thereby preventing vibration of the lever which would otherwise ensue. The top ofthe stem is provided with a cup-shaped washer 17, which is spread or held firmly against the inner surface of the casing by the water when admitted into the upper end thereof,thereby preventing leakage along the side of the stem.

For the purpose of providing water for the jet I form on the conduit 5 an extension or chamber 18, which lies snugly on the bottom of the tank, and from said chamber 18 the Water passes by a pipe 19, being controlled by a valve 2O in said pipe. The end of said pipe is contracted to form a nozzle 21 to produce a jet in the issuing water, said jet discharging in front of the mouth of the siphon 22. Said jet is located at such a distance from said mouth that there is provided between the nozzle and the mouth of the siphon a suflicient body of water to be acted upon by the issuing jet and carried upward into the Siphon, the largest side of the Siphon being already filled to the water-line. Said Siphon discharges into the flush-pipe 23.

An important feature of my invention con- ICO sists in forming this Siphon-tube of a gradually-diminishing diameter from the entrance end to the point of discharge. The object of this construction is to insure that a suflicient quantity of water shall be thrown up bythe jet into the Siphon as to completely fill the Siphon and exclude all chances of there being any air remaining in the siphon notdisplaced by the water. If the Siphon were of uniform diameter, it would perhaps be the case that the water thrown in by the jet and passing over the top of the siphon would on falling down the longer leg of the siphon not completely `till the same, so that a quantity of air would still remain in the siphon, thereby prevent-ing its proper action. Another advantage of this construction is that by this means the amounts ot' water in the two legs of the siphon are more nearly equalized. Therefore when the water in the tank has sunk to the level of the 'top of the entrance to the siphon and air begins to enter the Siphon thewater in the shorter legs of the siphon can fall back immediately, so that no gurgling or snorting noise is produced, as is customary withpresentformsofsiphons. With siphons which are of uniform diameter this snorting or gurgling noise occurs when the water reaches the level of the entrance to the siphon, being caused by the greater weight of the water in the longer leg of the siphon than that in the shorter leg thereof. On account of its greater weight it tends to draw up the water in the shorter leg and keeps on drawing it up or opposing its fall for some time, during which the gurgling or snorting noise takes place.

To operate the valve there is provided a bent lever 24, having a float on the end thereof and connected by a link 2G with a vertical lever 27, pivoted at 28, the upper end of said lever 27 being arrested by means of. a lug 29 on a horizontal lever 30, pivoted at 3l and carrying at one end a Iloat. The other arm of the lever 30 has attached thereto the usual chain 32 and carries also a weight 33, which counterbalances the weight of the oat when immersed in water. Upon rocking said lever 30 said lug 29 is removed from engagement with the vertical lever 27, thereby permitting,r the upper end of said lever to move outward and permitting the float 25, which was held submerged under the water, to move upward, which it does instantaneously, thereby actuating the valve 2O and admitting water to the nozzle 2l and producing a jet in front of the mouth of the siphon, causing the water which is at rest in the short and wide leg of the siphon to be carried over the top of the Siphon into the longer and narrower leg thereof. The siphon is thus completely filled with water from the tank and continues to discharge the water therefrom until the water has sunk to the level of said mouth, and at this time the lloat 25 will.

have sunk to such a level as to close the valve 20, allowing the upper end of the vertical lever 27 to move inward to be arrested by the lug 29 and held in that position until the next operation. The float 11 will have also sunk, thereby raising the plunger 7 and permitting water to reenter the tank.

In connection with this invention I provide an arrangement whereby the operation of siphoning the tank may be operated from a distance. For this purpose I provide a battery 34 and an electric circuit 35, having therein a push-button 36, Said circuit being carried around the coils of a magnet 37. Said magnet when energized attracts an armature 38, carried on a bell-crank lever 39, connected by means of a hooked link to the lever 30, thereby raising said lever in the same way as was done by pulling the chain and siphoning the tank. In order to insure that a current cannot pass when the tank is empty, which might cause waste in the battery by reason of mischievous pressure on the pushbutton by children or others, I break the circuit and support on the upper edge of one end of the Itank two binding-posts 4l 42, to which the ends of the broken circuit are attached. The binding -post 4l has secured thereon a contact-spring' 43, and adjacent thereto is pivoted a plate 44, of insulating material, which when said plate is swung over toward said binding-posts presses the contact 43 against the post 42 and closes the electric circuit. In order that said plate may be so swung over automatically by the rise of the water in the tank, there is attached thereto an arm 45, carrying a float 46. When the float rises with the water and the circuit is closed, then by pressing the push-button 36 the lever 30 can be operated to release the vertical lever 27 and can be held for a period to allow the water to sink to such a level as will by means of the float 46 and arm 45 break the circuit, thus saving the battery even though the push-button be still pressed. The releasing of the vertical lever 27 causes a jet to flow from the nozzle 2l, thus siphoning the tank. l 1

It is evident that by omitting the pushbutton the circuit will be closed as often as the tank is lled, thereby siphoning the tank at predetermined intervals of time, the length of said intervals depending upon the amount of dow permitted through the supply-pipe.

In case it is desired to Siphon the tank at predeterminedintervals of timewithout using the electric circuit this may be accomplished by bending down the loat 50. The effect of this will be to cause the horizontal lever 30 to be raised through the float 50 by the mere operation of filling the tank, thereby releasing the vertical lever 27 and siphoning the tank. i

I claiml. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a. tank, of a siphon therein, a nozzle discharging at the mouth of said Siphon, a supply-pipe branching into two different channels, one of which IOO IIO

is connected withsaid nozzle and the other discharges waterinto the tank to lill the same, afloat for controlling the passage ot water in the latter channel, a float for controlling the passage of Water in the former channel, means for preventing the operation of said latter iioat, and means, operated at will, for removing said preventive means, whereby said float operates instantaneously to admit Water through the channel to the nozzle,` substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a tank, of a siphon therein, a nozzle discharging .at the mouth of said Siphon, a supply-pipe, a conduit from said supply-pipe to said nozzle, a valve for closing said conduit, a float for opening said Valve, means for preventing the action of said iioat, and means for withdrawing said preventing means, operable at will, substantially as described.

, 3. In an apparatus of the character described, tbe combination with a tank, of a siphon, a nozzle discharging at the mouth thereof, a supply-pipe, a conduit therefrom ro said nozzle, a valve in said conduit, a float for opening said valve, a lever connected with said oat, a stop for said lever normally preventing its movement, and a lever for Withdrawing said stop and permitting the float to operate, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a tank, of a siphon therein, a nozzle discharging at the month of said siphon, a supply-pipe, a branch from said supply-pipe to said nozzle, an independent conduit from said supply-pipe, a float for controlling the passage of Water in the latter conduit, a valve for opening the passage to the nozzle, a float for opening said latter valve, means for preventing the operation of said latter float, a lever normally holding said preventive means in its operative position, and means for withdrawing said lever at will, substantially as described.

5. In an' apparatus of the character described, the combination with a tank, of a siphon, anozzle discharging at the mouth of said siphon, a supply-pipe, a conduit therefrom to said nozzle, a Valve in said conduit, a float for opening said Valve, means for preventing the operation of saidv iioat, an electric circuit, an electromagnet in said circuit, means operated by said magnet when energized for removing said preventive means, and means for closing said circuit to energize said magnet, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a tank, of a Siphon therein, a nozzle discharging at the mouth of said siphon, a supply-pipe, a conduit therefrom to said nozzle, a valve in said conduit, afloat for operating said valve,means for preventing the rise of said float, a broken electric circuit, an electromagnet therein, means operated by said magnet when energized for withdrawing said preventive means, and means operated by the rise of the Water in the tank for closing said break in the circuit, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM A. WILLIAMS. 

